My Initiation by Rukmini Devi Dasi

On August 15, 1968, in Montreal, I was initiated at the age of 16-an unqualified person meeting such a great and unprecedented saint as Srila Prabhupada. At the same time, the six pioneers from San Francisco, on their way to London received their Gayatri mantra, or second initiation. ~ Rukmini Walker.
On August 15, 1968, in Montreal, I was initiated at the age of 16-an unqualified person meeting such a great and unprecedented saint as Srila Prabhupada. At the same time, the six pioneers from San Francisco, on their way to London received their Gayatri mantra, or second initiation.

To listen to the transcript of my initiation, please click on this link: https://prabhupadavani.org/transcriptions/initiation-rukmiṇī-dāsī/

Written transcript begins here:

[Yamunā starts kīrtana with “Hare Kṛṣṇa.”
Prabhupāda: Vandanam. Vandanam. Vandanam.

Yamunā: What?

Prabhupāda: Vandanam Prayer?

Yamunā: [indistinct]

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Yamunā: [indistinct] [Prabhupāda leads devotees in Vande ‘ham].

vande ‘haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca
śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam
sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ
śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the Six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.]

Chant.

[Yamunā starts leading Hare Kṛṣṇa kīrtana. Prabhupāda chants prayers to the six Gosvāmīs by himself] [13:37] Prabhupāda:

kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī
dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau

You can get up. Can anyone follow on the harmonium, this? Mukunda, you can follow. [sings]

kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī
dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau
śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāvahantārakau
vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau
[Śrī Śrī Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 1] [I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Six Gosvāmīs, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who are always engaged in chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and dancing. They are just like the ocean of love of God, and they are popular both with the gentle and with the ruffians, because they are not envious of anyone. Whatever they do, they are all-pleasing to everyone, and they are fully blessed by Lord Caitanya. Thus they are engaged in missionary activities meant to deliver all the conditioned souls in the material universe.] [repeats song] [Prabhupāda continues playing karatālas while speaking]

This, today, a devotee is being initiated, so we are praying to the lotus feet of the six Gosvāmīs, who inaugurated this movement under the instruction of Lord Śrī Caitanya. Who are they? Śrī rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau.Just try to chant these six names.

[sings] Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau.
Repeat. [devotees chant]

Again. [devotees chant twice more]

Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau.

Rūpa, sanātana, two, vande rūpa-sanātanau; raghu-yugau. There were two Raghunāthas. One Raghunātha Bhaṭṭācārya and one Raghunātha dāsa. Two Raghunāthas, and Rūpa, Sanātana.

Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. [repeats with devotees]

Repeat. [devotees chant twice more]

So what was their business? Kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau: always engaged in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana.Hare Kṛṣṇa means kṛṣṇa-kīrtana. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. Nartana means dancing. So chanting and dancing. That was their business.

[sings] Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī. And kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, whenever one is merged in kṛṣṇa-kīrtana,that means he is merged into the ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa. That should be the test. As soon as “Kṛṣṇa,” this sound is vibrated, one immediately becomes merged into the ocean of love. That is the sign of pure devotion. Immediately. So these Gosvāmīs, they… Premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī. They merged immediately into the ocean of love of God.

[sings] Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī,
dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau.

And these Gosvāmīs were dear both to the devotees and nondevotees. Not that they were simply liked by the devotees, but nondevotees also liked them. That was their position. A devotee’s position is ajāta-śatru: he has no enemy. He has no enemy. Ajāta-śatru. Nirmatsara. Nirmatsara means because they are not envious. A devotee is always open to everyone.

There is no question of discrimination, that “This person should be allowed to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and this person should not be allowed.” No. In the material platform there is difference: high, low, man, woman, this or that. But in the spiritual platform there is no such difference. Therefore they were nonenvious, nirmatsara, and because they were nonenvious, pūjitau. Pūjitau means they are worshipable.

A person should be worshipable because he’s nonenvious. Śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau: such kind of position can be attained by one who has acquired the mercy of Lord Caitanya. Śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāvahantāra. And such person can deliver the suffering humanity from this material contamination. Therefore we offer our respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, Rūpa, Sanātana, two Raghunātha, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa and Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī.

[sings, with devotees singing] Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau.

Repeat.

Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau.

nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau
lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau tri-bhuvane mānyau śaraṇyākarau
rādhā-kṛṣṇa-padāravinda-bhajanānandena mattālikau
vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who are very expert in scrutinizingly studying all the revealed scriptures with the aim of establishing eternal religious principles for the benefit of all human beings. Thus they are honored all over the three worlds and they are worth taking shelter of because they are absorbed in the mood of the gopīs and are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.] [Prabhupāda continues playing karatālas while speaking]

Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau: they were expert in scrutinizingly studying all the scriptures. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau. Nipuṇau means expert. Why? Sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau: to establish real religion in the world. Real religion. Just yesterday we have received one letter from Mr. Renovich, Vancouver. He says that the Canadians, they want real religion. That’s very good, encouraging. Anyone, if he is anxious to have real religion, for him this is the best thing, this kṛṣṇa-kīrtana-gāna-nartana. So without religion, human society is nothing but animal society. It is simply polished animalism.

So these Gosvāmīs, they made so many books to guide us. You have read Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. That is the first direction in the line. So they always worked very hard, day and night. Their business was writing books or chanting and dancing. And other necessities—eating, sleeping, mating and fearing—they practically abolished. There was no question of mating; there was no question of fearing. And sleeping, they used to sleep utmost one and a half hour daily in twenty-four hours. And eating, that is also practically nil. When they felt hungry they would go to some householder’s home and beg one cāpāṭi or two cāpāṭis. That’s all. Finished.

So nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. Why? Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. The mission of saintly person is simply to think how this suffering humanity will become happy by spiritual consciousness. That is their business. They are not for exploiting. The whole material world is trying… One man is trying to exploit another; one nation is trying to exploit another nation; one society is trying to… This is struggle for existence. They have invented this law that “Might is right.” You struggle, and if you are powerful… Just like there is now a struggle between Russia and America, or China and America. This is going on.

So everyone is suffering. The struggle for existence means a condition of suffering. And these saintly persons, devotees of Kṛṣṇa—not only devotees of Kṛṣṇa, any devotee of God—they are…, their business is to see how people become happy. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. Therefore, tribhuvane mānyau: the devotees are worshiped not only in this planet but in other planets also—wherever they will go.

There is a nice verse in Cāṇakya Paṇḍita: vidvatvāṁ ca nṛpatyāṁ ca naiva tulyaṁ kadācana. He says that a rich man and a learned man cannot be compared. There is no comparison. Why? Because sva-deśe pūjyate rājan vidvān sarvatra pūjyate: a rich man may be honored in his own country, but a learned man, a devotee of God, he will be honored wherever he goes.

Sva-deśe pūjyate rājan vidvān sarvatra pūjyate. So this is the position of devotee. Therefore a devotee, wherever he goes he’ll be honored. Therefore a devotee has no distinction whether it is heaven or hell, because Kṛṣṇa is with him either in heaven or hell. So where there is Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of hell; it is Vaikuṇṭha.

Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he did not enter Jagannātha temple at Purī. He thought himself that “I am born in Muhammadan family. These Hindus, they’re against any Muhammadans entering the temple. Why shall I go and disturb them? I shall chant here.” So Jagannātha Himself was coming daily to him.

This is the power of devotee. He hasn’t got to go to Jagannātha, but Jagannātha comes to see Him. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to come daily to Haridāsa Ṭhākura. When He was going to take bath in the sea, so He would first of all enter Haridāsa’s cottage: “Haridāsa, what you are doing?” “Yes, my Lord. Please come.” So this is the position of devotee. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mad-bhakta-pūjābhyadhikā [SB 11.19.21].

[Firm faith in the blissful narration of My pastimes, constant chanting of My glories, unwavering attachment to ceremonial worship of Me, praising Me through beautiful hymns, great respect for My devotional service, offering obeisances with the entire body, performing first-class worship of My devotees, consciousness of Me in all living entities, offering of ordinary, bodily activities in My devotional service, use of words to describe My qualities, offering the mind to Me, rejection of all material desires, giving up wealth for My devotional service, renouncing material sense gratification and happiness, and performing all desirable activities such as charity, sacrifice, chanting, vows and austerities with the purpose of achieving Me—these constitute actual religious principles, by which those human beings who have actually surrendered themselves to Me automatically develop love for Me. What other purpose or goal could remain for My devotee?]

If somebody worships a devotee, that worshipment is more valuable than worshiping Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says like that.

So this is a process… Vaiṣṇava process is paramparā process. So today this nice girl is going to be initiated. She must learn this science, this very nice science, and you all Godbrothers and sisters will help her. Anyone who is trying to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, he should be given or she should be given all kinds of facilities. You’ll be glad to learn that our Hayagrīva Brahmacārī, he is taking one land in New [sic] Virginia, 136 acres of land. So I’ve advised him to develop it into New Vrindaban.

So I have got today his letter, the document he is preparing through the lawyer. So it is also a nice project. If by Kṛṣṇa’s desire we can develop a center just exactly prototype of Vṛndāvana, it will be very nice. Those American boys and girls who cannot go so long distance, 14,000 miles, they will have facility. So Kṛṣṇa is giving us all facilities. Simply we have to be very sincere, and everything will be done nicely.

So let us begin our today’s business. So you come forward. Yes. Take little water, one glass and spoon. This is too big. All right, take it. You know how to do it? Take little water—one, two, three, then four. Do it like that.

[to other devotees:] You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
[devotees chant japa] [Prabhupāda leads devotees in chanting oṁ apavitraḥ prayer three times] nama apavitraḥ pavitro vā
sarvāvasthāṁ gato ‘pi vā
yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ
sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu

[Either pure or impure, or having passed through all conditions of material life, if one can remember the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, he becomes externally and internally clean.]

Now again do that. That door is closed? Three times. Again chant.

[leads devotees in chanting oṁ apavitraḥ] nama apavitraḥ pavitro vā
sarvāvasthāṁ gato ‘pi vā
yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ
sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu

Do it again: one, two, three.

nama apavitraḥ pavitro vā
sarvāvasthāṁ gato ‘pi vā
yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ
sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu

The purport of this mantra is that if anyone is impure, apavitraḥ… Pavitraḥ means pure. Anyone, either he is pure or impure, it doesn’t matter. Apavitraḥ pavitraḥ vā sarvāvasthām. In any condition of life, it doesn’t matter. Pure or impure; there are two conditions. Someone is impure, someone is pure. So either way, namo apavitraḥ pavitro, sarvāvasthām, in any condition, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam: anyone who remembers puṇḍarīkākṣam, means Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa…

Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa, that person, bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ, he immediately becomes cleansed inside and outside. Śuciḥ, śuciḥ means clean or śuciḥ means brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means clean. You have got all threads, so you should always prove that you are always clean. Bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ. Śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu. So this is remembering Viṣṇu.

So simply by remembering Viṣṇu, if one becomes clean inside and outside, so by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, how much purified he is becoming in every moment or every second. It is so nice. There is no question if we always keep ourselves chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, so there is no chance of being contaminated by the influence of māyā. It is so nice.

Now you chant, I’ll say, you repeat.

[chants prayers for fire sacrifice, devotees respond] vande ‘haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca
śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam
sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ
śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca

nama om viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya
bhūtale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]

śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye
kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayita dāsa [another name of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is favored by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and who is the ocean of transcendental mercy and the deliverer of the science of Kṛṣṇa.]

mādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-bhaktida-
śrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo ‘stu te

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, the personified energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy, who delivers devotional service enriched with conjugal love of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, coming exactly in the line of revelation of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]

namas te gaura-vāṇī-śrī-mūrtaye dīna-tāriṇe
rūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe

namo gaura-kiśorāya sākṣād-vairāgya-mūrtaye
vipralambha-rasāmbhodhe pādāmbujāya te namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja [the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is renunciation personified. He is always merged in a feeling of separation and intense love of Kṛṣṇa.]

namo bhaktivinodāya sac-cid-ānanda-nāmine
gaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda, who is the transcendental energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvāmīs, headed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]

gaurāvirbhāva-bhūmes tvaṁ nirdeṣṭā saj-jana-priyaḥ
vaiṣṇava-sārvabhaumaḥ śrī-jagannāthāya te namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, who is respected by the entire Vaiṣṇava community and who confirmed the discovery of the place where Lord Caitanya appeared.]

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
patitānāṁ pāvenebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.]

namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmātī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]

pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam
bhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ namāmi bhakta-śaktikam

[I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional manifestation, devotional incarnation, pure devotee and devotional energy.]

he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate
gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo ‘stu te

[O my dear Kṛṣṇa, O ocean of mercy, O friend of the distressed and the source of creation, O master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]

jayatāṁ, suratau, paṅgor, mama, manda, mater, gate
mat, sarvasva, padām, bhojau, rādhā, madana, mohanau
[Sambandhādhideva Praṇāma] [Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.]

dīvyad, vṛnda, araṇya, kalpa, drumādhaḥ
śrīmad, ratna, agāra, siṁha, asana-sthau
śrī śrī, rādhā, śrīla, govinda, devau
preṣṭhā, devī, sevya, mānau, smarāmi

[Abhidheyādhideva Praṇāma] [In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my most humble obeisances unto Them.]

śrīmam, rāsa, rasa, arambhī, vaṁśī, vaṭa, taṭa, sthitaḥ
karṣan, veṇu, svanair, gopīr, gopī, nāthaḥ, śriye, astu, naḥ

[Prayojanādhideva Praṇāma] [Śrī Śrīla Gopīnātha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the rāsa dance, stands on the shore in Vaṁśīvaṭa and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May they all confer upon us their benediction.]

tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari
vṛṣabhānu-sute devī praṇamāmi hari-priye

[I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.]

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

[O Śrīmāti Rādhārāṇī (the divine energy of the Lord Kṛṣṇa), O all-attractive reservoir of pleasure, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, please engage me in Your loving devotional service.]

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

Thank you. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Right hand, not left hand. Keep forward your right hand. Yes.

[Prabhupāda and devotees chant japa] So you have seen how I’m chanting? You’ll begin from this bigger one—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—then take another; in this way, come to this end, again begin from here, come to this end. In this way, chant sixteen rounds at least. At least. So…

[break] …principles of restriction. The more you follow the restriction, the more you become advanced. These things are required. And you try to avoid ten kinds of offenses.
[aside:] That offenses? The paper is not there? The ten kinds of offenses.
Guest: Easy Journey to Other Planets. Shall I get that?

Prabhupāda: Other planets? Offenses. Ten kinds of offenses to be avoided. You have got that?

Haṁsadūta: We will give her a list.

Prabhupāda: All right. So the first offense is satāṁ-nindā: no devotee shall be blasphemed. Satāṁ-nindaṁ śruti-śāstra-nindanam: no scriptures should be defiled. Satāṁ-nindaṁ śruti-śāstra-nindanam tathārtha-vādo hari-nāmni kalpanam: and never make any interpretation. Just like we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, somebody may make interpretation. There is no interpretation. The direct meaning is that we are praying Kṛṣṇa and His energy to accept me in the society of His service. This is the simple… There is no other interpretation. Or artha-vādaḥ.

And sāmya-śubha-kriyā-pramādaḥ: one should not accept chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa with some…, something śubha-kriyā. Just like generally the materialist persons, they go to churches or temple just to become purified of their sinful activities. Just like in Christian religion it is the custom… What is called?

Devotee: Confession.

Prabhupāda: Ah. Confession. So we should not [be] like that. It is not confession. Confession means I confess that I have done this sinful act, and as soon as I come out from the church I do it again. No. We should know that all sinful activities are washed off by chanting, but that does not mean we shall commit it again. Whatever we have done, that is washed off. Now we should be careful.

And that four principles—no illicit sex life, no, I mean to say, meat-eating, and no gambling, no intoxication—you try and follow. You must follow. As you are taking this mantra, you must now follow. Whatever is done is done, finished. And we, we allow marriage. So there is no restriction. One can marry. But no illicit sex. So these four principles should be followed, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be pleased. Be more beautiful within and without. You are beautiful girl, so… You are all beautiful. So become beautiful within also. Kṛṣṇa will accept.

Kṛṣṇa can accept any number of beautiful girls. [laughs] Unlimitedly. Just see. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam [Bs. 5.29].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of lakṣmīs or gopīs.]

Lakṣmī. The beautiful girls are called that goddess of fortune. Actually, woman is considered as goddess of fortune, representative of goddess of fortune. We are misusing for sense gratification. No. They should be respected as goddess of fortune. If one man has got nice wife, actually he has got goddess of fortune. That is astrological calculation. A man is considered to be fortunate in three ways. If he has got good wife, then he is fortunate. If he has got good son, then he is fortunate. And if he has got plenty money, he is fortunate. So these three standards of fortune, out of which, one who has got good wife, he is the most fortunate.

So our Society will try to make good wives so that the boys, all boys, should…, can think himself always fortunate. If one has got good wife, any place, doesn’t matter. Either under… Just like Lord Śiva, he was living underneath the tree. There is no shelter, but he had the good wife, Pārvatī, so he was happy. So whenever you like, we shall select any brahmacārī. But don’t have illicit sex. Marriage is allowed. I take personally care of marriage. I want this society must be cleansed. Without being cleansed, nobody can advance in spiritual consciousness. So what is your name?

Devotee: Wendy.

Prabhupāda: Your present name? What is that?

Devotees: Wendy. Wendy.

Prabhupāda: Wendy. So is there any name Rukmiṇī in our list?

Devotees: Oh! [laughs]

Prabhupāda: So you may be called Rukmiṇī devī. And some day you may be kidnapped by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa kidnapped Rukmiṇī. Rukmiṇī was very beautiful, qualified, Lakṣmī. So his [her] father liked that Rukmiṇī should be given to Kṛṣṇa. And his [her] brother liked that she should be handed over to another boy. So Rukmiṇī sent one letter to Kṛṣṇa, that “Although I’ve not seen You, but I’ve heard of Your activities. So I am attached to You. Now some nonsense is coming to marry me.”

[break] Just see how nice it is. [laughs] And we eat kṛṣṇa-prasāda, we enjoy the Kṛṣṇa. What is this nonsense, ahaṁ brahman, Brahman? “I am stone.” What is the difference? If somebody thinks, “I am stone,” and if somebody says, “I am Brahman. I am void,” so what is the difference between stone and void? The same thing. Why should we become stone and wood? We should…, we shall reciprocate loving affairs with Kṛṣṇa.

Mādhavī-latā? How many pictures you have done? You have seen Mādhavī-latā’s picture? That picture is painted by Mādhavī-latā.

Lady devotee: Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Yes, she is good painter. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. We have stopped. Yes, always chant. Chant loudly.

[break] fire sacrifice continues] nama apavitraḥ pavitro vā
sarvāvasthāṁ gato ‘pi vā
yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ
sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu

[Either pure or impure, or having passed through all conditions of material life, if one can remember the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, he becomes externally and internally clean.]

nama om viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya
bhūtale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

nama om viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya
bhūtale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]

śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye
kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayita dāsa [another name of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is favored by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and who is the ocean of transcendental mercy and the deliverer of the science of Kṛṣṇa.

namo gaura-kiśorāya sākṣād-vairāgya-mūrtaye
vipralambha-rasāmbhodhe pādāmbujāya te namaḥ

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

namo bhaktivinodāya sac-cid-ānanda-nāmine
gaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

gaurāvirbhāva-bhūmes tvaṁ nirdeṣṭā saj-jana-priyaḥ
vaiṣṇava-sārvabhaumaḥ śrī-jagannāthāya te namaḥ

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
patitānāṁ pāvenebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam
bhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ namāmi bhakta-śaktikam

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

[I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional manifestation, devotional incarnation, pure devotee and devotional energy.]

he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate
gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo ‘stu te

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

jayatāṁ, suratau, paṅgor, mama, manda, mater, gate
mat, sarvasva, padām, bhojau, rādhā, madana, mohanau
[Sambandhādhideva Praṇāma]

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

[Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.]

dīvyad, vṛnda, araṇya, kalpa, drumādhaḥ
śrīmad, ratna, agāra, siṁha, asana-sthau
śrī śrī, rādhā, śrīla, govinda, devau
preṣṭhā, devī, sevya, mānau, smarāmi
[Abhidheyādhideva Praṇāma]

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

[In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my most humble obeisances unto Them.]

śrīmān, rāsa, rasa, arambhī, vaṁśī, vaṭa, taṭa, sthitaḥ
karṣan, veṇu, svanair, gopīr, gopī, nāthaḥ, śriye, astu, naḥ
[Prayojanādhideva Praṇāma]

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

[Śrī Śrīla Gopīnātha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the rāsa dance, stands on the shore in Vaṁśīvaṭa and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May they all confer upon us their benediction.]

tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari
vṛṣabhānu-sute devī praṇamāmi hari-priye

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

Now, you take this. Stand up.

[fire sacrifice continues] nama oṁ, brahmaṇya, devāya
go, brāhmaṇa, hitāya ca
jagad, dhitāya, kṛṣṇāya
govindāya, namo, namaḥ

[Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.19.65] [I offer my respectful obeisances to the Supreme Absolute Truth, Krishna, who is the well-wisher of the cows and the brahmanas as well as the living entities in general. I offer my repeated obeisances to Govinda [Krishna], who is the pleasure reservoir for all the senses.]

hare kṛṣṇa hare

[break] All bow down. [devotees offer obeisances] Now chant. “Govinda Jaya Jaya.” Chant.

Chant and dance.

[77:07] [Prabhupāda leads kīrtana] [prema-dhvanī] [break] Lady devotee: Will you always be our spiritual master?

Prabhupāda: I don’t follow. What do you say?

Lady devotee: Will you be our spiritual master for eternity?

Prabhupāda: I think so. [laughs] Whatever we do here, it is for eternity, because it is not on the material stages. It is all on the spiritual platform. There is a song by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, cakhu-dān dilo yei janme janme pitā sei [Śrī Guru-vandanā]:

[He who has given us the gift of transcendental vision is our lord, birth after birth. It is by his mercy that divine knowledge is revealed within our hearts, bestowing pure love for Kṛṣṇa and destroying ignorance. The Vedic scriptures sing of his character.] “One who has opened the eyes, he is, birth after birth, he is my father.”

Lady devotee: Oh, that is… Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Cakhu-dān dilo yei. Cakhu-dān means one who has opened the eyes, that is spiritual master. Janme janme pitā sei. Janme janme means birth after birth, he is my father. All right, distribute prasādam. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Oh, the whole thing? [laughs] All right. Give it.

[devotees chanting japa] [break] You are not taking?
Devotee: I have.

Prabhupāda: Take more. Oh, where is Mādhavī-latā? Why you are in the back side? Come on, take more. Come here. You are not taking more?

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare/ Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Yes.

Yamunā: Rukmiṇī devī gave that to you.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Very good. What is this?

Yamunā: It’s a shawl for around your neck in the cold weather.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Yamunā: She made it.

Prabhupāda: Very good. Very nice. Thank you.

Yamunā: I’ll give it to Govinda dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Govinda now… [break] [end] To read the complete article please click here: https://is.gd/Lbd3tC

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=77838

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My Initiation by Rukmini Devi Dasi

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